Saturday, 29 August 2009

Son no 1 is up visiting, along with girlfriend and Bobby, brother of our Cilla dog. So, Son no 2 and his other half invited us over for a meal. Was very nice and lovely to see the brothers and their other halves together:o) Plus, this little lady:o)

She is so sweet and BRIGHT!! A proper cutie and a credit to a young Son no 2 and his other half.

Grandchild of Min,making friends with Bobby dog, who is EXTREMELY laid back:o).

Still not managed to get the competition letter from behind the mantlepiece. Now waiting for big bro to come down and take the bugger apart!! lol

Tuesday, 25 August 2009

Junior is into word searches, especially those that have a prize to be won for all her hard work!

Today, she spots a word search in her cat magazine. She only bought it yesterday. The prize is a nice, comfy cat bed. Posh, too:o)

Anyway, she spends ages doing the darn thing and finally finishes it. Yippee. She found the missing word, so she is convinced she has won. All she has to do is send her entry off and await the goodies:o)

She duly fills in the competition form, hunts around for and finds an envelope, puts form in, seals envelope, addresses it and then hunts for a stamp.

We do not have any so I tell her that we'll buy some tomorrow and she can post her competition form then. I tell her to put the envelope in a safe place.

She puts the form on the lounge mantlepiece.

Before I could say "Not there", the envelope disappears!

It has slid down the back of the mantle!! The 'House that Jack Built" people who fitted mantlepiece didn't screw it flush to the back wall, so there is a gap....enough to eat Junior's precious competition envelope...and boy, has she got a strop on now!!!

She's tried allsorts to tweak the thing out.....tweezers, knitting needle with sticky substance on the end to anchor it and lift it out of its hidey-hole. We tried sellotape, sticky dots, etc. Nah. Nothing works. Never does when you're in a stroppy mood, does it. She's even suggested dismantling the whole fireplace!! lol

Anyway, tomorrow is another day and we'll try again and, hopefully Junior will extricate the thing and send it on its way.

Sunday, 23 August 2009

We have some bits of furniture that are too good for the tip and not good enough for Freecycle, if you get my meaning? I was racking my brain, trying to find a use. The bits I have are a rattan wardrobe and its bedside drawers, plus a couple of square, deep, birch-effect wardrobe topper cupboards. The rattan stuff is lovely really..but the mogs got their claws on them and they look terrible now:o( Anyway, I have too many wardrobes so this one is destined.....for the garden.

I'm going to lay it on it's back, take the doors off and use it as a raised bed for our veggie garden bit. The bedside drawers will be used just the same and the wardrobe doors could be used as edging or climbing support. Rattan is...rattan...right? So there shouldn't be any issues with chemicals leaching from it...I hope. All I need is a ton of compost to fill the things! lol And, some piping and heavy duty polythene to construct a poly tunnel cover for when the weather is bad and to keep out the neighbourhood mogs. I've also got some heavy duty banana boxes from the move. Shall use these the same way for smaller crops like salads and stuff we want to experiment with. Get them off the ground via some well placed bricks. Anyway, this all should save my back and joints from unnecessary digging.

The previous owners of the house, in their wisdom, went OTT and planted LOTS of plants in the back garden, mainly ornamental grasses and these are taking over, so they'll get thinned out. As I get older I find that I'm more into useful plants (and herbs) and not the ornamental stuff. We have some peonies. They're lovely for the couple of days that they flower for but the rest of the time they bore me. So they can go. I like colour; varying shades of green just don't do it for me.

In this garden, where there aren't plants there is pea gravel( laid on top of the obligatory weed suppressing membrane). All very nice, but a pain to walk around on when your ankle and knee joints are wonky! I think the original garden theme was low maintenance and drought proof. Fair enough, but it's like a giant cat litter really..the gravel.. (not that my mogs use it, they don't 'cos they are inside). Anyway, shall have to get landscape gardener Son No 2 down here to shift some of it and thin the plants out. They can be Freecycled.

I hope all this works because I'm looking forward to eating home grown food again and gazing out and walking around a productive, scented patch of land without breaking my ankle! lol So is Junior. She loves getting stuck in and organising stuff..... She's the Fruit Queen.....loves strawberry and blueberry fruits. Whizzes 'em up to make a delicious, pink smoothies:o) I'm lucky in that she loves fruit and veg. Feel sorry for those people who struggle to get their kids to eat their 5 a day.

Today we made a vegan stew for tea. Ratatouille basically, made with onions, diced aubergine, mushrooms all sauteed for a bit; add tin of toms, chickpeas, sweetcorn, tomato paste, crushed fennel seeds, ground cumin and coriander, dried basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Simmer on low heat for about 20 mins. Was very yummy. Since going mainly vegan I've noticed that the old arthritis isn't as bad nowadays, which is all good. Might be able to get my heels on for summer yet, or what's left of it:o)

Boring. No flowers for the bees, so this is getting a thinning out.This grass has really sharp edges!! Notice the crap gravel.More. We have loads of this one. It's a bit more interesting than the others, being variegated. We have a pampas grass, too but it's been chopped down (before we came here). Am not going to encourage it 'cos they are a pain to trim and dig up, I hear.Fuchsia. Don't mind this because of the colour, but it's rooted next door through the fence, so isn't technically ours. Shall have to take a few cuttings incase next doors decided to dig it up.

Friday, 21 August 2009

She's been feeling increasingly cut off with recent events and is open to the idea of keeping up with 'us kids":o)) BT are farting about reconnecting the phone line in her new home. You'd think her advancing years and medical needs would enable a speedy connection, wouldn't you? There's a socket there already, too.

Earlier in the week we toddled off to suss out suitable mobiles. Mother's wish list a la mobile.....

First and foremost, it must have big buttons. Not because of any eyesight issues, more to do with clumsy, numb fingers! Then, it must have a ring tone loud enough to re-awaken the dead..... and a speed dial. Nothing more.

After a lot of prodding and poking, we found one. Well, Mother did. Would have to be expensive with a multitude of gadgets that she'll never use. The cheaper, basic ones were too small for her. Well, she thinks this one is ok and it's a nice colour, too....(so we know where Junior gets her pink preferences from now:o)) lol

New mobile is charged and loaded. J has put Mother's contact numbers on speed dial and is preparing.............

Wednesday, 19 August 2009

We had the intruder thing last night...again! Lots of growling felines. This time even the dog heard and barked away...probably putting intruder off incase he/she/they ended up with a backside full of canine teeth!

I'm so peed off with this because we were meant to be going to an important home ed recording today. but have to stay and suss out more security.

There are some pillocks in this world and they always seem to find me!

Friday, 14 August 2009

Gone on a trip with Mother along with 50 other people, young and old. A little outing organised by the residents committee at her new abode. They are a great bunch of people:o) So funny and kind. They are, unknowingly, doing their bit to mend Mother's broken heart and ease her loneliness.

It's a 'Let's explore our countryside, have lunch and shop' type of trip, which should suit both of my girlies:o)

Meanwhile, back at The Lodge, once painkillers kick in, I'm hoping to rip out the stair carpet and then sand and paint the treads off white! And make a Cranberry and Pecan Tiffin (recipe courtesy of Attic 24). Ten years ago, I could have done all that in a couple of hours. Nowadays, alas.......

Wednesday, 12 August 2009

Junior has discovered the earphone socket on the tv that we use for her X Box, Game Cube, etc. No more computer game music for moi! Yay!!

She plays away on them and Bart lies atop the tv, keeping warm:o) Meg squeezes behind it for the same reason, I presume. Mother's cat, Jimmy, has settled in. We keep our dvd's in an old set of drawers that we've had for years and the games tv and stereo are on top. It's obviously a substantial piece of furniture. Heavy but, sadly, not worth a lot...but I think it's lovely. Middle drawer is dvd drawer which J always forgets to push back in after taking a dvd out. Jimmy has taken advantage of this and uses it as a snoozing spot:o) Maybe, at the grand old age of 11, he's into gaming, too? lol LooLoo seems to have taken a liking to laying atop the stereo. I knew my ancient turntable would come in handy for something. lol

Must remember to recharge camera batteries!!

Now we are mobile, I asks Junior where she would like to go on holiday. I tell her that it must not be a camping choice. Tents, midges, primitive loos and me don't go..certainly with iffy joints!! Don't want midge bites on ample backside and then not be able to scrat them because of iffy joints!! lol

"Scotland" she tells me is the place to go.

Ok. Good choice. I like Scotland a lot. There are nice home edders north of the border:o) Not that they are the only nice people. My Mother did have friends up there, but I think they'll all probably be frolicking on a cloud nowadays, especially as she hasn't heard from them in years, so no bunking in with them then:o(

Anyway, what about going abroad, I asks? Like...planning and saving up for trip of a lifetime, travelling around. People do it all the time, don't they? It'll be great, all the planning and research, etc..then brain engages.... What the hell am I doing? I hate flying, like I REALLY hate it..... I would need major brainwashing to get over that and probably knock out drops to get me on a plane. But, still...need to do something. Must be brave. lol Life's too short and all that, plus think of the educational rewards for Junior..and I have always wanted to whale watch:o)

I bites lip and wonder whether Junior will suggest Australia. If she does, then I hate to think what mega amount of Paul McKenna hypnotism I'd need to cope with my little phobia? Eeek!

Anyway, North America it is, then:o) For starters:o) They like home edders there, don't they? Due to my little flying phobia, I have visions of us rowing across:o) This is obviously a non starter as I can swim as much as I can fly. Ben Fogle and James Cracknell did it, didn't they? Maybe they'd 'escort' us over? lol

Then me thinks..."Hmmm.. wonder, once we get there and they hopefully let us in, if it would be safe to travel across this huge mass of land, with it just being the two of us?

Worse still, how long will it take to save up?" Sigh.......

Anyway, got to have the means of getting out of the country legally, first. Have you seen how much it is for a passport nowadays? It was only about a fiver in my Ibiza days:o) And you weren't chipped and barcoded for the pleasure!! Such is progress.

Bart has now moved and decided to take up residence on my Wacom mat. Think this is a subtle hint to open him up another tin of tuna:o)

Saturday, 8 August 2009

Brother has found a little car, suitable for arthriticky moi and trendy enough for Junior:o) And....it's a nice colour! lol So, we should soon be winging our way here, there and everywhere:o)

The mogs are fed up. Busting a gut to get out into the fresh air. This enforced imprisonment is getting them down..and me. Junior is absolutely peed off with the cat haters of the world. She doesn't hate anyone, just hates nastiness. Anyway, a new cat enclosure should be up and working soon, so they, the mogs, can sit, sunbathe and climb the greenery and do feline things (apart from killing birds) safe from the cat haters round here. The lovely local cat rescue volunteers have given me some tips and moral support. Have put our names down as volunteers. I was beginning to feel a little isolated, not knowing anyone around here of the same ilk, if you get my meaning, but I feel much better now....and so does Junior. We have, finally, met like-minded people. The cats at the local rescue centre made a beeline for Junior when we had a look at their garden enclosure....which was absolutely lovely. The lady who runs it is...what can I say.....fantastic...and the cats are so well looked after. She says that nobody wants black or black and white cats. There were plenty there and all absolutely lovely natured.

Thursday, 6 August 2009

Junior does her best to molly coddle and gee him up!! She loves the cat as much as her grandmother does. He is nothing special to look at. Just an ordinary mog (bit large, though). J is now asleep. I type here and cat jumps up and cries at my keyboard.

Tuesday, 4 August 2009

New place is lovely.. three times the size of previous place, but still she manages to fill it with boxes and bags of stuff!! All precious:o)))

Junior and I are pooped. Days of ferrying to and fro of all her stuff...and having to cope with Mother's emotions..which are a bit fragile at the mo. They, naturally, affect us too.

You see, she can't have pets at this place. So, her cat is now living with us, even though he's an indoor mog. Mother feels guilty and all that, seeing that 'he' adopted 'her' eight years ago, so he's getting on a bit. But, she had to move for her health. Council didn't give a stuff when she asked for a one bed place over and over again and they told her she could carry on living in a bedsit, even at 80 and to thank her lucky stars that she had a roof over her head!! Some way to treat the elderly!! Mother has been crying her eyes out non stop. She says she can't get used to not having 'someone' there, to talk to. Tv and radio are not enough! He was someone to hug and hold:o))) Suffice it to say, I do not have a high opinion of that council at the moment. They absolutely stink!!

Anyway, Junior has taken over the mantle of 'New Owner' Mother is paying her!! lol. So, she is spoiling 'new cat' rotten:o). Trouble is, resident cats have sniffed out tuna and red salmon that Mother has provided for pampered cat. They are not putting up with their usual 'up market' dried complete food and are demanding equal rights!! lol Mother's cat is residing in the kitchen for the mo and we are picking the right moment for introductions!! But I can't help thinking that he would be completely harmless in Mother's new place, being an indoor type and very quiet. It's such a shame. Wish I could win the Lottery or something and make it right for her.

If I ever get to be God, I will ban all this unnecessary crap and rudeness and sack all nasty council officials!!

About Me

An ancient home-edding mum. Trying to be good to the world, owned hook line and sinker by far too many pets, doing my best to be vegan, into crafting/eco stuff, unorganised- I love my stuff too much to be minimalist, technophobe, now definitely needing specs much to my dismay, spiritual, kind, scatter-brained, going grey, extremely cantankerous at THAT time of the month, hate football, politics and bad manners. Wish I could paint and draw to a decent standard and get to grips with this computer malarkey!!